State of economic emergency declared in Colombia after earthquake

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in the economic, social, and environmental spheres following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck the central and western parts of the country on August 10.

"A 30-day state of economic emergency has been declared in 15 departments in order to resolve the crisis and prevent the spread of the disaster's consequences," the Administrative Department of the Presidency said in a statement.

According to the latest data, 314 people have been killed by the earthquake, about 4,500 people were injured, and 262 people are listed as missing. The natural disaster affected 15 departments. The material damage is also considerable: more than 30,600 homes were destroyed, about 137,000 were damaged, 302 buildings collapsed, and more than 5,800 properties sustained structural damage.

Earlier, de la Espriella said that about $10 billion is needed to rebuild Colombia after the devastating earthquake.

Source: Interfax